Section 1: "The Cid leaves his beard untrimmed..."

1. What religion is the Cid?
2. What phrase does the narrator/poetic speaker use to refer to or describe the Cid?  What does this suggest about his character?
3. Why does the Cid refuse to cut his beard?  What symbolism do you see in his beard?
4. What are the Cid's personality traits?  What kind of leader is he?  How do his men feel about him?
 

Section 2:  "The Cid's lion gets loose.  The fear of the Heirs of Carrión..."

1. Who are the Heirs of Carrión?
2. How do they and the other people of the court react when the lion escapes?
3. What is the Cid doing when the lion escapes, and how does he react when he finds out what happened?
4. What does the lion do?
5. What characterization of the Cid and the Heirs do we glean from this episode?
 

Section 3:  "The Bishop begins the battle.  The Cid attacks..."

1. Who rides the horse Babieca?  What is Babieca like?  How do these qualities reflect on the rider?
2. What does the Cid do in this passage?  What does the fact that the Cid enters "in the first ranks" suggest about his character?
3. What symbolism do you see in the confrontation between the two horses (Búcar's and the Cid's)?
4. What is the effect of the detailed description of the death of King Búcar?
5. What symbolism do you see in the sword, Tizón, that the Cid wins in battle?
 

Section 4: (The Outrage at Corpes)

1.What is the wood of Corpes like?  What kind of scene does this set for what is about to happen?
2. How did the Heirs of Carrión spend the evening before the day when they commit their dreadful deed?
3.  What words does the narrator/poetic speaker use to refer to the Heirs of Carrion?  Would you say it is an impartial narrator or does he pass judgement on the characters?
4. What do the Heirs do to their wives?  What is the effect of the description of this scene?
5. Why does the narrator repeat several times that it would be fortunate for the Cid to appear now?  What is the effect of this on the listener/reader?
6. According to the Heirs, why did they do this deed?
 

Section 5: (The end of the poem)

1. What is the importance of the Cid's vengeance on the Heirs?  What is the symbolism of the Cid stroking his beard as he ponders this?
2. When Doña Elvira and Doña Sol remarry, how does the social status of their new husbands compare to that of the Heirs of Carrión?
3. How does all this reflect on the social standing of the Cid at the end of the poem?
4. What would you say is the main theme of the poem?